Owen Hargreaves - just...why?

[CHAPPERS]

But as long as Lampard and Gerrard are disciplined enough to work on their partnership to ensure that one of them covers while the other one maraudes forward, I see no need for Hargreaves in the team.

He's NOT in the team is he.

Hargreaves is a decent player who works very hard when he does get a chance to come on. He's never held down a place for England so has never been able to stamp any kind of authority on the team. As a sub he's decent player to bring on when you want the team to hold the ball and se some time out. He'll never be a first choice player but he is a good squad player.

And you don't play regular for Bayern without having a bit of talent.

 

[Easy 10]

I'm not saying he's a bad player, Chappers. He's got talent - thats a gimmee being as he's held down a place ay Bayern for so long. But I honestly don't think he brings anything to the table for England. When should England use him ? Bring him on when defending a narrow lead ? Or to keep it tight from the start ? As a squad player, who is he a direct replacement for ?

I suppose he's competent enough in his own way, but he just never inspires me with much confidence that he's actually going to contribute something worthwhile to the team.

 

[CHAPPERS]

1) When should England use him? 2) Bring him on when defending a narrow lead? 3) Or to keep it tight from the start? 4)As a squad player 5)who is he a direct replacement for ?

1) Whenever a midfielder needs to come off for any reason.

2) If you want to bolster the midfield, yes.

3) Not necessarily, our best 11 started on Saturday, that's the way we should starte very game.

4) Yes

5) That's why I like him, he is versatile to play anywhere in our midfield, he is competent with both feet and I think he passes the ball well. Just because he's not a direct replacement for aynone doesn't mean he shouldjust be ditched from the squad, after all, you could say neither Dyer or Jenas are direct replacements for any of the midfielders as well, are we gonna drop them from the squad too? Or do you want Phil Neville back?

 

[nwgull]

It's worth mentioning that's he'd also be a competent replacement at right back if G Neville got injured.

 

[CHAPPERS]

It's worth mentioning that's he'd also be a competent replacement at right back if G Neville got injured.

Indeed, an excellent versatile squad player.

 

[Easy 10]

Have to agree to disagree then. I don't think he's anywhere near international standard, even in the "unglamourous" midfield holding role. Not a great passer or tackler, not a player you can hang your hat on and say "yeah, he'll do a great job" if we're hanging on. No steel or drive. He's just a Mr Average.

Oh for an English Patrick Vieira.

 

[CHAPPERS]

Oh for an English Patrick Vieira.

Steven Gerrard.

 

[keaton]

Steven Gerrard.

He doesn't dive enough though

 

[keaton]

Have to agree to disagree then. I don't think he's anywhere near international standard, even in the "unglamourous" midfield holding role. Not a great passer or tackler, not a player you can hang your hat on and say "yeah, he'll do a great job" if we're hanging on. No steel or drive. He's just a Mr Average.

Oh for an English Patrick Vieira.

He's a better tackler than any other midfielder in the squad, i'd say he's the best crosser apart from Beckham and Downing. But he's not gonna play a killer forty pass like Gerrard. But then again he won't waste possession by playing a pointless forty yard to no-one like Gerrard!

 

[Chesney Christ]

Have to agree to disagree then. I don't think he's anywhere near international standard, even in the "unglamourous" midfield holding role. Not a great passer or tackler, not a player you can hang your hat on and say "yeah, he'll do a great job" if we're hanging on. No steel or drive. He's just a Mr Average.

Oh for an English Patrick Vieira.

Err, Gerrard.

 

[Schrödinger's Toad]

Blimey, are you sure? Xavi is the best passer of a ball in Europe, without exception.

Hargreaves is decent enough - does a lot of running, wins the ball and generally gives it simple to a more talented player to do something better with it. Doesn't deserve to be spoken of in the same breath as Xavi though.

I didn't say he was as good as Xavi (who I too rate extremely highly), only that he does (or tries to do) a similar job. I don't think we have anyone who can do what Xavi does for Spain as well as he does it, but Hargreaves is about as close as we get.

 

[Easy 10]

Well, I hope Hargreaves proves me totally wrong and, when called upon, plays a complete blinder for England. I've not seen it happen yet though, and his few cameo appearances have done nothing to convince me that he's actually much good. Sven often throws him on out of desperation when things are going tits up, and I've not seen England pull anything round as a result of Hargreaves being introduced.

Maybe I'm being unfair on him - its not his fault he finds himself a bit part player when the wheels start coming off. But he's done feck-all in my eyes to help alter the course of a match, so until I see a more positive contribution from him, my overall opinion of him will remain: "very limited - must try harder".

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

It's a bit of a curious thing that Owen Hargreaves is like some weird and moderately-talented mystery man who makes brief cameos in an England side like that mad Manc that snuck into the ManU line-up that time in a European tie. Cos Hargreaves plays in Germany we don't really know very much about him. We don't get endless photos in the tabloids of his moon-faced Scouse girlfriend out spending the thick-as-pigshit fella's money, he don't fail drugs tests or get into punch-ups in clubs or get tapped-up by rivals or verbally abuse match officials or any of the rest of the crap that we take for granted over here. Bit boring really...

 

[NMH]

In watching several performances, I have only seen a string of "ooh unlucky, almost completed" passes that didn't reach his man, tackles where he got caught in possession and lost the ball (back-up defender my arse!), and generally looking somewhat lost in the midfield.
Macmanaman was similar, if not superior in his impact - yet he actually did seem to have some ball skills - and also exuded some confidence to take on players.

Le Saux was probably dropped from the squad for being unpopular with team-mates, more than because of poor performances.
Cole has been great already, I think it was unfair on him to have been blamed for the Italy goal on his first game for England. He didn't get picked for a while after that - he lost the ball in the forward midfield, yet the defence didn't get criticised?

Personally, I don't care about Hargreaves' Bayern history by now, it just looks like he was picked by Sven to get there before he won a cap for Germany.
I just haven't seen one performance to refute that.

 

[the right footed denilson]

xavi is not the best passer in the world.

 

[king Wombat]

I don't think he's any good.

he isnt a ball winner as far as i can see in that he rarely wins the ball.

he definitely isnt a winger in that he can't take players on and doesnt do crosses..

and he's not a creative midfielder.

The reason he is in the England squad is cos he can play (averagely) in most of the positions and does mean that a good proportion of the 1st 11 have an alleged replacement.

the only problem with that is that being average in all of those positions doesn't really mean that he is a viable replacement..

 

[¤DãŃn¥ §êãGüLL¤]

He gives us a different option. People slate Heskey but I can see why he picks him too.

 

[Chesney Christ]

xavi is not the best passer in the world.

Yes he is. Watch more Barcelona games.

Did you see him in the friendly against England? He made Lampard look like Charlie Oatway.

 

[Simon Morgan]

from what i've heard, hargreaves is physically the fittest player in the england team. maybe hes quite useful for fresh legs. i think he is a good player, but probs needs more games (friendlies/last night type games) to be better at international level...

 

[NMH]

He's a better tackler than any other midfielder in the squad, i'd say he's the best crosser apart from Beckham and Downing. But he's not gonna play a killer forty pass like Gerrard. But then again he won't waste possession by playing a pointless forty yard to no-one like Gerrard!

One of Hargreaves most ambitious moments was a 40 yarder toward Neville, from the left to the right flank. It didn't make it as one defender had an easy 3 seconds to stroll into position to cut it out.

Let me know though, when he does make a telling pass or contribution to an England game, so I may appreciate what I've overlooked in his part in the England shirt.